Group of Five Power Rankings, Week 4: I-4 rivals hold position at top

Entering the season, South Florida was a team in transition. Former Alabama and Arizona State quarterback Blake Barnett transferred to USF as a graduate transfer and immediately took over Quinton Flowers’ old spot. The backfield was all brand new, and Marques Valdez-Scantling had graduated as well. On defense, middle linebacker Auggie Sanchez also graduated.

But the Bulls changed coaches last year, from Willie Taggart to Charlie Strong, and kept rolling without any real issues. This year, they lost some key talent on both sides of the ball but have continued to chug along with an undefeated start to 2018. That trend kept up in conference play on Saturday against East Carolina.

Despite the South Florida defense giving up more than 400 yards of offense, they held East Carolina to only a touchdown and a pair of short field goals as they clamped down in the red zone. When the Bulls had the ball, they managed fewer than 300 yards of offense. But in the end they got two huge scoring plays, a 66-yard touchdown pass from Barnett to Darnell Salomon and an 80-yard touchdown run from Jordan Cronkrite, that allowed them to remain unbeaten.

South Florida completes their non-conference schedule next week with a trip north to face UMass. Then they return to conference play with a road trip to Tulsa at the start of October. As long as they keep winning, the War on I-4 rivalry game on Thanksgiving weekend could settle the AAC East winner for a second straight year.